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Well, just when my nausea was getting better, today I woke up and found the palm of my hands covered by small red dots. I called my ID inmediately. He asked to come down to his office at the end of the day...

Alex, sorry to hear about your hands. Get in to see your doctor so you don't have to worry about this much longer. Hopefully it turns out to be nothing major and the doctor prescribes something as simply as Benadryl for the rash.Jeff

Well, it's a real shit. I just realized in the evening that my feet were itchy..so guess what?. yes, you are right..Rash there also... I went to the doctor, and he ade it official. I have the f*cking raash. He ordered me some analysis for my liver (some sh*t I haven' heard of in my life: CHTO VSG, ALS, AST, FALK, GGT)....He said in case that I have "Toxidermia" (no idea how to say that in English), then He will have to change my combo (Probably getting rid of Efavirenz)

F*cking hell. I was getting better, and used to this pill thing...And my side effects were getting away...

In case that he has to change my combo, Godbye Efavirenz-like-medications (Viramune and the other one as well). That means, I would have to use one PI...I had the hope that I would not use those yet...that I could keep em for later on...

I feel really as shit. 6 weeks, and not one good news... First I have HIV, then my numbers require me to begin treatment, then I begin and feel like shit, and when I am feeling better, then it seems I have to lose one kind of weapon (NNRTI), and begin again.

I am sorry for what I am going to say...But why was I so weak not to commit suicide when I had the chance? And if God is love...why PLEASE doesn't he show some mercy and give me a heart attack at once?

Alex, I am sorry you feel this way about life right now. The key word is now. Lets wait for the doctors to come up with something you can tollerate better. You have the right to be depressed, it seems overwhelming at times. Don't continue down this path you are on. There is no need, not now, not yet, probably never. I think our minds can take us places that are dark and scary and you need to be led back out into the postive aspects of life. Allow the forums to work for you.. You are certainly not the first to have an adverse reaction to a med. Thats why are there are so many of them. Let the guys here help along with your doctor. Please stay strong, you have alot of love and support here honey. YOUR GOING TO BE OK!! Have faith, be strong...

Aww Alex, I'm sorry to hear about the troubles goin on currently. You're right though, HIV does suck, but babe lemme tell ya...it'll get easier with time, think of them as HIV growing pains or speed bumps on the HIV highway. A strong person like you can and will accomplish great things with or without a rash. Hang in there babe {{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}

I don't think we've met. My name is Robert. I live in Red Bluff, CA. It's about 4 hours north of San Francisco. I want you to know I've read all your messages and I think you're an angel.

YOu don't know how much you have helped me and others on here as we struggle with this virus.

You asked, "...if God is love...why...". And I say it's because He wants all of us to be friends and lovers. That's why this forum is called "Living with HIV". There are of lot of us in pain. For some the pain is constant. Some of us have good days. Some of us have bad days. But one thing is for sure. We're all here to help each other out. As Rocky likes to say, "I understand. I'm positive too."

And like Eric said, don't continue down this path. Let us Forums work for you. We're here to help. And don't think the worst.

I certainly wouldn't change meds just yet. This could be a reaction to something else. Give it a few more days. Right now I have a rash on my feet that just appeared this morning. I'm curious about it but I'm not going to dwell on it. A few weeks ago I started spitting up blood for no reason. But that also passed. Of course I mentioned it to my DR and she made a note of it in my record but right now neither of us are really concerned about that. The point is, don't dwell on the negative.

YOu'll see soon enough. This virus loves to play tricks on us. The strangest things will just pop up and before you know it they're gone. NOt to worry.

I can't say I'm glad you got this stupid virus but I am glad you're part of our family. We need you.

Hi Alex! Feeling depressed, huh, it's good though that you don't withdraw into depression and look to your brothers and sisters here for support. Actually while it's not fun to have that rash (understatement of the day) it's good that you seem to have a doctor who knows about these things, can make a prompt diagnosis and can probably set you on a better course quickly.I dunno about God, maybe we are extra challenged in life so that we get a deeper understanding of what it means to be human and to learn to care more about ourselves and each other. And I think the dynamics of this forum is an excellent example of that. I wish you well Alex, you know if we cd we would all come down there to nurse youand cheer you up, as for now you'll have to do with our expressions of love and support. {{{{{{{{Alex}}}}}}}}

It troubles me to hear what you are going through. Let me share something with you. When I started my meds, I broke out into the Rash all over my body (including the palms of my hands). I went to the Doctor and he gave me Fluconazole to help with the Rash. After a few weeks or so, the Rash went away.

It seems as though your body is having a reaction to the meds. It can't be for sure but, double check with your Doctor on this one.

It also troubles me to hear that you are depressed. We are all right here for you and this is as Robert said, what the forums are all about. I am on here every day for my support and the group is just amazing. You have made your connection, and Dam It it is the right one.

Do your BEST to remain positive and try not to let things get you down.

merde! I was hoping that your rash would just come and go quickly. Well, I now hope it will come and go reasonably quickly I understand this makes you feel depressed and I am glad you are staying in touch with this group. You've mentionned being quite isolated, not having many people to share your condition with. You've had a lot to handle recently and although this group can help tremendously, it feels to me like you could do with extra support. Have you considered seeing a therapist? I know it's helped me and quite a few others in adjusting to this new situation.

When it comes to rashes and skin irritations of various types, they can also happen for many reasons, not just your HAART regimen. After being diagnosed I had a very badly located dermatitis kind of rash that lasted several months - I was not under any meds but definitely under a lot of stress. I don't think life is fair or unfair, it just is... and I also believe we Hivers are not being punished for anything we did or did not do. You are young, you have a lot of energy that right now is spent in anger and frustration. Like Eric says, this is now. This rash will hopefuly leave you alone soon. Tomorrow you can use that same energy to keep leading a life full of excitment and love. As for now, make sure you take good care and try to relax.

When I say Matty the Damned sympathises, I mean it doll. I really understand what you're going through right now. I won't belabour that point, you can read one of my several threads about my various maladies at the moment.

Misery loves company.

But there is one thing I'd say to you right now:

You're a long time dead.

Don't be too hasty to step into the abyss. Death is certain for all of us. There are plenty of great times ahead of you regardless of AIDS.

This will get better babe, believe me. I know it's hard to see a way out of this at the moment, but there is one and sometimes we just have to ride out the rough stuff. HIV is a brutal roller coaster ride.

But enough platitudes for now. Just remember that you are loved and cared for in this place, and despite all appearances to the contrary at the moment, you are not alone.

Sorry for what you are going through Alex. Today I went to the hospital to pick my meds. At the beginning, just seeing the hospital maked me depressed. Now I could only see how beautiful is the narrow street where it is. The day is sunny, the trees are huge an the branches from both sides meet in the middle giving a refreshing shadow.Things will get better and you will be able to find the beautiful things of everyday life again.I had a rash when I was infected. The Dr said it was dry dermatitis...That was september 2002.

First of all, I am sorry about your rash! But I have 2 points to make.

1. I had the SAME thing when I started meds, started in my hands and feet but then it was all over my torso. I did not have to change meds and the rash on my torso went away with some standard anti biotics. Oh, and i never had to change meds.

2. what they DID NOT diagnose, was that I had syphillis. That was the rash on my hands and feet. It kicked my ass for nearly 4 months before they figured it out.

If you have not done so, please have them check that.

Andrew

Logged

LIFE is not a race to the grave with the intention of arriving safelyin a pretty and well-preserved body, but, rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming--WOW! WHAT ARIDE!!!

Good morning/Bonjour/Buenos dias HIV in america and the world, it's 9:41 am and this LatinAlexander, reporting from rash-in-hands town!

The recent rash-attack, that took place yesterday on ultra-hot-alex seems to have advanced a little bit more on the night. Small dots have been reported by scared citizens in the shower hour , located in the inner part of his upper arms and legs. Local ID authorities have issued last night a measure to take some blood samples and today, we have been informed they have been just gotten out of right arm veins highway.

Intense interrogations will be taken to the samples through the day to determine if potential hepatotoxicity has ocurred and is related to the recent riots. The nurse-spokeperson for interrogation-room-lab has said to the press that they hope to get results after 6 pm, time at which information will be passed to local ID authorities. As usual, since the declaration of HIV emergency 6 weeks ago, this hottie keeps receiving his efavirenz+combivir combo as usual, until further notice. There was another suspect considered thank to an anonymous call from someone identified as ACinKC, but has been discarded by the firt baseline analysis performed on the subject

AidsMeds Studio , that's all we have from Rash-in-hands town, we will keep you informed. This was your reporter LatinAlexander.

glad suicide wasnt your way out,as for the rash hope you didnt touch your member ,even if it telt good.no really, the tests are to see if the meds are over toxifing your system,same liver tests i get with blood drawn,to check liver enziimes, and liver function tests.dont worry to much about it,you only have to give blood for this test,i just hope you dont get punched in the nose as hard as i did. . good luck,take care

It's hard to do right now, but train your mind to think "long-term." That's what I had to do and it's helped me immensely. Bumps in the road are going to happen, but we are here for you when that comes about.

These are the night news at 10:52 pm, with the latest developments. Straight (the only straight thing there ) from the place where news are happening.

LatinAlexander reports:

After a very detailed interrogation , there was a mild hepatotoxicity. With values ranging between the top value and 3 times it for the usual population of the gangs of AST, ALT an related rampong torugh the streets, the local ID authority has confirmed the participation of the liver (aka "The processor") in the disturbs from one night ago. Also, the authorities found the complicity of another element in the bloody inter-organic highway that is pretty high, indicating an allergic reaction.

In a private Larry-King style conference held by this reporter with the MajorID at his office, the major expressed his worries about continuing or stopping the treatment. Understanding that stopping was a tough decission, the plan that the major decided is:

1) Continue with current reatment. Give it one more week to see if the riots continue spreading all over alex-hottie. In such a case, all citizens are welcome to call directly to the major to report any new incidents that would expand the conflictive area. In such a case, treatment will be stopped.

2) Check back in one week with another set of analysis, just to define the behaviour ot "The Processor", and identify if it continued with it's delinquential activities, generating internal chaos.

3) If situation is controlled, then continue with current combo, and the city will come back to peace.

4) If not then doctor is ready to begin a new treatment with Fozaprenavir boosted with Ritonavir, and continue with Combivir. However, the residents are not quite happy , because that involves engaging the PI-Special Squad, and increases the daily number of pills in a 20% (from 5 to 6)

5) Point number 4 is not risk free. The process will begin again, and there is a rash risk once again. Plus serious GastroIntestinal issues.

6) Doctor refuses to use KaletraEliteTeam, because says it's better to keep that as a Gold Bullet.

Also the Major indicated clearly that the tiny red dots, are a good sign of Inmunologic Reconstruction and that the citizens should not worry about them (even if they are itchy). But that in case of any major zones with rash, they should be reported right away.

This is a LatinAlexander with your special report on the Current situation. More information in the days to come. AidsMeds Studio, go ahead. Thank you for joining HIV News Today

Thank you for been reading my (boring) stuff... Just an update...Things seems to not be getting better. Yesterday I woke up, and found the outer part of my arms, from my elbow to my shoulders, all covered with a full blanket of red areas and dots, and a terrible headache. I decided to wait until today, and more dots are appearing on my legs... (The headache is slightly better it seems)...

So I called my doctor. I'll meet with him at 5 PM...damn it. I do not want to begin Lexiva+Combivir+Norvir... BUt, it seems it's not getting better...

I am sorry to hear that things are not improving right now. But they will. I know how difficult it is to be patient when stuff like this happens and all I can do right now to help is tell you that you are in my thoughts. Not much help is it?

It's official. Rash is all over my body. My legs, my knees, my chest, my back, my arms (not yet my as*, I cannot seem to see it by myself, and being single, doesn't help). I went to my doctor again tonight. He said We should give a try for 72 hours more. Til monday. We both agree on trying not to give up on this treatment, at least, not without a fight. There were positive signs tough. My hands palms and feet palms rash is getting better. However, my doctor is kinda dissapointed. He says this is a very particular rash version. For som reason, he says , it's kinda uncommon. It's like if it would have appeared before time, and the body is aggresively trying to control it.

He asked me to be alert on my palms. He said they are an Excellent indicator of how is it progressing...But I must tell you guys...The sadness gave space to the fear when I saw my body. Little red spots...all over me...That's scary... It is my very first real visible manifestation of HIV...and that simply put me to the edge.

I have a very hard time trying to hide from my family..The only place where I do not have rash (I hope never) Is in my face...Some in my neck and from there going down to my toe, but nothing besides that....

While I never personally like to answer untruthfully, there are a million and one reasons that a rash could appear on your face. perhaps you could suggest that your razor felt funny this morning and that you're going to check it out with a doctor if it gets any worse. Bending reality is as much for others' comfort as it is for your own.

Hang in there, mate! I'm still recoving from a bit of a rash so I empathize.

I had the same experience in my first regime (Sustive and Truvada) before. I had severe allergy (rash) in Sustiva. Considering my low cd4 (5 only) my doctor ordered me to stop the meds until rash faded away. She changed my meds to be Reyataz, Norvir and Truvada. I have been on my new regime for one month and I didnít feel any bad side effects.

You didnít mention that you have fever and muscle pain. It is good thing. Your rash may not be severe and you may have chance to keep your current meds. Rash sometimes goes away after one or two weeks with treatment. When I had rash with Sustiva I had fever and muscle pain in my legs. I also felt very tired and lay on bed for 3 days.

My heart goes out to you as I have been through a similar situation just as yourself. My entire body was covered in a rash including my face. Unfortunately, I did not count the number of weeks I had the rash. However, the rash did run it's course and finally after a few weeks it cleared up. Just sharing my own experience with you.

Change your soap that you are using to a milder one for your skin. Put plenty of lotion on your skin to keep it moist so it will not dry out. Other than that, try not to fret it as much, it should go away soon.